[ihc] Goopy gaskets and the sealing gasketeers that goop them

["Jim Grammer" <jgrammer@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 22:13:06 -0600
From: <spamaddy@domain.elided>
Subject: [ihc] gaskets and gasket goop

Hope everyone had a happy Easter Sunday!

What's the consensus on using gasket sealer on IH engines?  My 345 was
leaking oil (from everywhere!), so I'm tearing it down and replacing gaskets
on the valve covers and oil pan.  The surfaces appear fine, but I don't want
to do this job again anytime soon.  Would it be "safe" to use some high-temp
gasket sealer when installing the new gaskets?  What are y'alls thoughts?

Consensus? Bwahahahahah :)  Not.

Everything Hofs said and....

*My* highly refined 'sure-fire' method goes like this: I keep a spare head
casting and a spare block with the gasket surfaces prepped. The head has
studs in the valve cover holes, I have yet to get around to doing that to
the block. The block has a timing cover bolted to it for the front oil pan
bolts. After I prep the cover(flat/true/clean), I glue the gasket to the
cover and install on the 'fixture' head/block with the fixture side dry. Use
some care to get the gasket centered, easy to do this way. I previously used
Permatex #2 for this, I have switched to Permatex #1 which sets up hard and
permanent-like. Leave it like that for as long as you can, at least
overnight. Remove from the fixture and you have a cover/gasket assembly
where the gasket *cannot* shift or squeeze out of position. Install the
assembly with your favorite non-hardening sealer, I prefer P-tex #2 for
this. Again, let it set for as long as you can.

The notion of keeping big hunks of iron lying about to use as gasket
fixtures may seem extravagant, but it really saves a bunch of time and
cursing ;)

Jim